Believing in Steven
by Evaworld
Summary: A collection of short stories about the many adventures of Steven and the Crystal Gems and the good, the bad, and the memorable moments that will forever be in their hearts. (Updates every couple of weeks, rated T to be safe. I do not own Steven Universe)
1. Band-Aids

** A/N: Well, this was unexpected; I would have never guessed that this particular show would take over my life. Anyway, this is my first time writing for this lovely fandom (not my first fan fiction, of course). I haven't written fan fiction in a while and I decided this will be that time. I'm letting you know right now that this is just a bunch of random drabbles and quick writing practices for when I have a writer's block on my novels, so I will let you that know that I will most likely ****not**** continue any of these that you see here. Most of the drabbles will be mellow, cute fluff and interactions between the characters, some will contain action. **

** ~~ On a last note, please know when these drabbles were published. I'll keep a date if necessary, but as the show goes on, more information about the characters and their situations will be released and some of these writings will possibly be invalid, characters will seem out of character, and "non canon", made up situations will possibly occur. The series still has a lot of questions to answer at this moment in time; it is still a new television show. I'll try to keep these as canon as possible, but if an episode shows otherwise, then so be it…~~**

** *Spoiler alert for anyone who hasn't seen "So Many Birthdays" or "Arcade Mania" yet* **

**1 (Band-Aids)**

It has been one of the longest days in his entire life. To be honest, it didn't really feel like it was just one whole day, it felt like three. Today was fun, of course not counting the exhausting emotional afternoon but it has been a rather eventful day. It was a long day filled with birthday celebrations that weren't quite the best. After the whole incident, Steven noticed that the gems wouldn't let him out of their sight for more than a minute. That means if they were in the living room, he had to be there too, no exceptions and no "buts". They even let him tag along in today's world-saving adventure, even though it was a light and quick mission in the first place. Of course this wasn't the first time that something happened to Steven which caused the gems to stick with him in their concern; it happened a lot more than necessary. Whenever he got injured during a mission, whether it was just a cut or bruise, the gems grew cautious of him and kept on eye on him for obvious reasons before they grew their confidence back and things returned to normal. However, this time it may be different. He almost died today. It wasn't just a scratch inflicted by a crystal monster this time, he almost died. He remembered their expressions as if it happened just a few minutes ago. Pearl was crying uncontrollably and almost lost all of her focus in the situation, something that she tries and succeeds to prevent. Amethyst was enraged out of frustration and frantically trying everything to help him but with a painful expression on her normally cheerful and laughing face. He could hardly see Garnet but for the few seconds he saw her, she was trying to calm herself and the rest of the gems. Nothing really ever crossed his mind today but he hopes that he'll never have to see that again…

The Crystal Gems were more than just mentors, teachers, or guardians to him. They were his family and his friends. He knew he could always count on them and they were all very close. Steven loves and cares about them with all of his heart and they feel the same, even if he messed up on some missions and wasn't the brightest or the strongest gem (yet), they never raised their voice or gave up on him. And that's something that he appreciates. That's why he couldn't handle this afternoon. His friends didn't know what to do and normally it is the opposite, and the expressions on each of their faces (especially Pearl's), broke him.

On the bright side, since Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl never let him out of their sight, he got to show them what slumber parties were as it grew later. The nights were very mellow in Beach City; there was not a job in sight for a Crystal Gem once the moon was out and the lights dimmed low. Humans were all asleep anyway, so, after all of them were in the living room, relaxing, he showed them what a slumber party was. Sleep wasn't necessary for a Crystal Gem and he knew that, so he just showed them the games people play during sleepovers, so that he could let them get the full understanding of what people do on when they are on a slumber party. Pearl was a bit skeptical at first, thinking that this was going to be a lot like the birthday parties but she gave it a shot nervously, only because Amethyst and Garnet were convinced. They all changed into pajamas by his orders (that was when Steven asked Garnet why they even have them, and she shrugged and just replied with "They're comfortable," and he couldn't argue with that) Steven first showed them truth or dare, which, as you could imagine that didn't end well at all with Amethyst being the in mix. It was too much power for her to handle and it got…out of hand real quick. He showed them some more games but after a ton of candy and junk food, Steven died down a bit and they just did something calm, like watching television together. He didn't really remember what happened next but all he knew was that he was leaning against Garnet and shut his eyes for more than a minute before accidently falling asleep. Normally, they would've carried him to his room and tucked him in. Tonight goes to the exception; they all joined him, even when he didn't know why they would want to. Well, it was a slumber party after all, right?

He woke up in the middle of the night (or at this moment, you could say very early morning), with Pearl who was angrily whispering at an unconscious, loudly-snoring Amethyst who kept sleeping and drooling right on top of her during the night. He understood that she was trying to be quiet, but it was hard to be when Amethyst's limb and unconscious body was crushing her. "Oh, for the fourth time, Amethyst. Would you just move?" She whispered loudly, if it was possible to have a loud whisper anyway. Amethyst just obnoxiously snored in response and Pearl sighed in defeat, only whispering, "This was a bad idea," before attempting to fall asleep for more than her fifth time tonight. At the moment, he wondered where Garnet was, and if she was asleep. Garnet never sleeps, and he noticed that, either that or he was never really able to tell because her eyes and her expressions were always covered in her mirror-like sunglasses. He was way too tired to move his head to check if she was there, and if she was awake, and maybe he would have cared more if he wasn't so drowsy. So he shut his eyes again and let the thoughts leave his mind.

Just about when he fell into unconsciousness, he felt some arms quickly and tightly grab hold of him. He jumped, and turned his head to see Garnet, who was in a cold sweat and was holding on to him like her life depended on it. Steven was taken aback, he had never seen her asleep but yet alone like this. She grasped the fabric of his shirt tightly, and her expression was easily read as some form of stress. That was when his foggy and dense mind finally adjusted to the situation: She was having a nightmare. He felt the strength in her arms, and he said her name as loud as he could (without waking up Pearl, who seemed to finally be peacefully asleep, despite Amethyst still being a bother) in an attempt to wake Garnet up. It only took a few tries, due to her calm and high-perspective demeanor. Her eyes opened, and she released her grip and backed up a few inches "Steven," Garnet expressed calmly, and then instinctively covered her third eye with her palm. At the moment, he wondered why she even took off her glasses, she was rarely seen without them, and she was very self-conscious about her third eye, but then again, if she had them on, he wouldn't be able to tell if she was asleep or not. Garnet slightly calmed herself "I'm sorry." She continued in her smooth voice

"No, no, don't be…Garnet," Steven stopped himself before going on, "Are you okay?"

"Yes, Steven," She whispered back, although he just thought that she was back to her same old, 'made of stone' self, and he worried about her. Does she act strong to hide the things from her nightmares?

"Are you sure?" He mumbled to confirm. Steven got no response from Garnet this time, and her expression was hidden. Ugh, he knew something was biting at her right now, and if she didn't always act so strong, she would tell him for sure. He wanted to know, so he hatched an idea and got up off of the couch. "Where are you going?"

"I'll be right back. Don't worry," Steven muttered in an encouraging, yet quiet tone and went into the dining room to retrieve something in a familiar medicine cabinet. This would make Garnet tell him what was wrong for sure, he knew it. His fingers grasped the old dusty box of old Hello Kitty Band-Aids that probably hasn't even been touched in three years and went back down into the living room, quiet enough to not wake up the two gems who were still, surprisingly unconscious, he could tell by Amethyst's loud snores and Pearl's quiet ones. Garnet was a bit confused (she easier to read when those sunglasses weren't on her face) when he came back down, and he consoled, "Where does it hurt this time, Garnet?" as he took out one of the Band-Aid's in the original package. He noticed that she softened up, and looked at the boy, showing one of her rare and almost alien smiles.

This brought back so many memories to the gem leader. She remembered when Rose left. She was upset for days on end and furious even, until Steven filled that gap, and in fact, he filled it in the matter of a week. The small boy crammed that emptiness that Garnet had in Rose's absence and she learned to grin every once and a while. The thought that she almost lost him today was unbearable, she made a promise to Rose and she planned to keep it until the little boy was no longer little and could take care of himself.

She remembered a few years back, she went home on an individual mission, with cuts and bruises shown everywhere on her, and some scratches cut through her clothes and her skin. It was bound to happen. She was a Crystal Gem, a protector of Earth. When you are a Crystal Gem, it meant that some days, you will have scars and your battle wounds, and others you wouldn't even look like you fought a giant terrifying monster. That was when a younger Steven started to worry about her. He asked her if it hurt and she just said no, although the child wasn't convinced. All she could remember after that was that the next time she went home with her battle wounds all over her skin, Steven took out a childish looking package of "Band-Aids", the Hello Kitty version. Garnet was confused yet curious, and when she learned they were used as a type of First Aid, she told Steven it wasn't necessary, but the boy refused, and placed the Band-Aids all along the cuts that were visible on her legs, mainly because that was all he could reach at his small age and height. With his instruction, she sat down and allowed him to place the bandages all along her face and her arms wherever it was needed. Due to her very docile nature towards the one's she cares about, she never found it to be bothering. She found it to be an adorable trait, and it soon became a habit.

Every time she arrived home, she had to give Steven a souvenir from the palace or temple she visited (even if it was just a rock, he was satisfied), and then if she was 'wounded', Steven had to get out those Hello Kitty Band-Aids again and he would ask, "Where does it hurt this time?" She wouldn't reply, of course, because the scars didn't hurt as bad as you would think, but she would smile as her form of reply.

As the years went by, he eventually stopped doing that altogether, and Garnet didn't quite know why, maybe it was because she stopped getting hurt as much as she did and grew even more excellent in combat than a few years before. Either way, she'll always remember those Band-Aids, no matter what happens. And she was just reminded of them currently.

She lifted him up, and held him close in her arms, and he giggled quietly enough not to disturb anyone. "Do you feel better, Garnet? Did they work?" Steven questioned for the final time that night.

"Yes, Steven. They worked."


	2. Tree Hugger

**AN: I really apologize for the very belated update. For all of my readers' patience I have finally finished a drabble (and I will have another one coming up in the next 2-3 days) and I hope you enjoy it as much as you enjoyed the first one. Thanks for all of reviews, nine reviews is incredible, it beat my record for the amount of reviews on the first chapter. Thanks for waiting and I assure you that my update hiatuses will die down. **

** ~~Spoiler alert for those who haven't seen Steven the Sword Fighter (Doubt there's any who haven't seen it, but better to play it save, right?)~~**

**2\. (Tree Hugger)**

It had been only a few days ago since Pearl had returned from her dormant state and Steven had never been so relieved that she was home again. Everything went back to normal and the temple was back in its previous neat condition. Steven didn't even mention about the hologram Pearl incident to any of the gems. He didn't even want to tell them but he knew that he would have to someday. For the past few days, he had been thinking about his decision whether or not he should tell them. He's just glad that everything is back in order and no one got hurt, but maybe it was about time that he finally spoke to them about the incident. For it would explain the mess and the broken television caused from the hologram battle better than the lousy excuse he gave. He knows that he would most likely be criticized for taking a dangerous risk but he knew that Pearl will understand once he explained himself. But should he tell them? He felt bad lying about his broken TV and many pieces of broken furniture, and he knows he will feel guilty until he tells them. Garnet can see that he is lying and that only made him feel worse. With a hefty sigh, he went out of his room, his mind racing on the decision.

Well, there was only Pearl home right now. Amethyst was probably out getting food or something (he honestly doesn't know where she goes, she leaves without any sort of announcement) and Garnet… well, she might be a mission, he sincerely has no clue. He knows Pearl is home though, and that's the only person he needs to inform. He inhaled slowly before saying Pearl's name, only to have silence echo back. He didn't have the slightest response from her. "Pearl?" Steven repeated, heading into the living room. Her reading chair was empty and unaccompanied. "Hm. Where did she go?" he asked himself. She clearly didn't leave the house with Steven by himself, without any announcement. That was not Pearl's way. If she had it her way, she would have repeated herself over and over about where she was headed and when she would get back. No. Pearl wouldn't leave unannounced, especially when Amethyst and Garnet aren't home. He continued to look, until he saw an image of her outside through the window.

Her form was in the exact location of the tree she loved, only a stump now. Oh no. He didn't tell her that Pearl's favorite tree was chopped down by her own hologram, and it was his fault. She must have been devastated, she didn't know that her plant had been destroyed and in all of these past few days, she had believed that it was still here. He didn't understand why she cared about that tree as much as she did but he knew it meant a lot to her. With that thought in his head, he raced toward her, forgetting to close the door behind him, until he stopped and saw her, looking a bit upset and uneasy, she didn't even show her face. "Pearl, are you okay?"

"Steven. Do you know who did this?" Her voice cracked before a quiet sob escaped from her. He was taken aback and he looked at her pitifully. She sounded really upset, and Steven just decided to tell her the truth, no matter how upset she gets, he knows that she will never be mad at him forever. Pearl couldn't have loved that tree more than him. "…Yes" He replied to her question. She looked at him, a few tears were on her face, and it broke his heart. "W-What?"

"Well…When you were gone, I…um…I thought Holo Pearl would act like you, and because you were taking too long to get back, I thought if I hang out with Holo Pearl, it would be like I was with you. I mean, it looked like you and her voice was the same as yours …I-I was wrong and it cut down your tree. It's all my fault Pearl…I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, that tree meant a lot to you even when I didn't know why. It was your favorite, now it's gone because of me…" Steven never felt this guilty in a long time. Sure he messes up sometimes during missions but he had never made any one of the crystal gems upset, and certainly never made one cry because of his mistakes. He was expecting something dramatic to happen next and he braced himself for the worst, but instead, Pearl merely looked at him with concern in her teary eyes. "Steven, you could have been killed! Oh, what were you thinking?"

"I know. Amethyst tried to stop me, but I guess I just really missed you and I…I thought…But I chopped down your tree, why aren't you mad at me?"

"I'm not mad. I'm just glad that you're safe now, especially after what you told me… For once—and I can't believe I'm saying this—you should have just listened to Amethyst. About my tree…as much as I care about it, I would rather it be killed by my hologram than have it kill you." Pearl managed to smile under her tears for Steven, and that cheered him up in a way he couldn't describe. She was still sobbing a bit, but he listened as her sobs died down, and then she wiped her eyes and sniffled. After it grew quiet, Steven figured this was the moment to ask her.

"Pearl?"

"Yes, Steven?"

"Why did you love that tree so much, anyway?" He asked her and he immediately regretted it because her smile faded away the moment he questioned her. She recollected her thoughts and it took her about fifteen seconds to finally respond. "Rose and I…We planted it years ago." Pearl mumbled softly. She remembered the day when Rose left, the tree was only reminder, she would visit everyday. She would speak to it, as if she was speaking to her, it sounds crazy but it helped her cope and be strong. Amethyst kept calling her—what was it?—Oh, she called her a "tree hugger" until Garnet told her she was going too far. Garnet knew and Garnet understood that the plant meant a lot to her and knew it had something to do with Rose. For years, it felt like the tree was Rose, with her pink curls and beautiful smile, and Pearl merely used it as her comforting and coping tool until she got used to Rose being gone. Sadly, she still isn't used to her being gone. It's been ten years since the incident but she still misses her with all her metaphorical heart. When you have been with someone for the amount of a hundred or so years, and then they're suddenly taken away from you, it would be a while before you forget and move on. Sure, she's gotten better at coping with it, especially with Steven around, but she just wants to move on.

The guilt hit Steven like a bullet piercing flesh. "O-Oh," was the only thing he could manage to say. Pearl, noticing Steven's guilt, gave a comforting smile and grasped his shoulder. "Why don't we grow a new tree and we can plant it together?" She offered him. He smiled and nodded.

Together, they headed to the local gardening store and picked out a tree different from the one Rose picked back in the day. She didn't want it to remind her of Rose this time; she wanted it to remind her of Steven. For about a half an hour they browsed through the collections of saplings until they narrowed down the choices. In the end, they decided on sassafras, which was a tree that blossomed beautiful yellow flowers the color of gold during the early spring. Once they went home, they planted it in a nearby location and gave it some water. Pearl started to walk away but Steven wanted to "watch it grow", which caused her to smile at his innocence. "You know, it's going to take a while for it to grow, right?"

"Aw. How long?"

"You picked a tree with a slow growth rate. It will probably take about twenty or even fifty years until it will mature." Pearl stated in a factual way, much to Steven's disappointment.

"That's a long time, I don't think I can wait that long, Pearl…" Steven whined. In response, the skinny gem laughed and just said, "The years will go by fast, you'll see."


	3. Tired

**AN: This short drabble is going to be the aftermath of what happened in the "Indirect Kiss" episode. Just a small spoiler warning for those who haven't seen it. (again, I apologize for the inactivity; I had the worst of the worst writer's block the past few months ago and I'm hoping to recover here soon.) And I'm surprised I don't have an Amethyst drabble yet, she's my favorite character, I'm sorry this might be a bit out of character…**

**3\. (Tired)**

Today was a very emotionally and physically exhausting day, especially in the early afternoon. Recently been healed by Rose's fountain, Amethyst had never been so sleepy in her lifetime. It was a long walk home to the temple and Steven didn't even utter a word ever since he learned that Pearl and Garnet saved Amethyst's life and he didn't. She didn't understand why Pearl couldn't just give him the credit. Sure, that would technically be lying and the next time that anyone would get hurt, Steven would assume that he had magical healing tears but if Pearl humored him for that moment, he would still be as happy as he was an hour ago. He was so happy at the thought of saving her life that Amethyst thought she never seen him happier.

Once they went home, Amethyst headed to the straight to the couch to take a nap. Her entire chest still was in pain and she glitched out every other few minutes or so but she believed just a few hours of rest and it will go away. It felt like the weight of the world was all on her gem and it wasn't the best feeling in the world but that wasn't her number one concern. She was worried about Steven lately, and whenever Amethyst worries about something, it's a big deal. Amethyst never freaks out or panics, and for the most part, doesn't even question anything. If she went out of her room and saw three identical Stevens that want her to play the drums, she will, without even a question or concern. If she finds the whole dock aflame, she'll just chuckle at everything and continue eating her fries on the sidelines (after all, it's not_ her_ problem, why should she care?). However, the way that Steven acted after the whole mess rubbed her the wrong way.

She noticed that Steven uncharacteristically didn't say anything on the way home, and that made her feel sick. He didn't play his ukulele on the way home, didn't compose a song, didn't even laugh or say a word for the whole trip back to the temple. Steven's a bright and happy kid; you'll rarely ever see him without his starry eyes and big innocent grin. She knows something is bothering him and she cares about him, so she has every single right to be worried about him. However, instead of taking him to Big Donut so they she could cheer him up like she usually does in situations like these, Amethyst shook it off. It wasn't anything personal, she just understood that sometimes Steven can figure things out for himself and he didn't need help.

Also, her gem was driving her nuts, it still hurt like Hell. Humans don't understand how much it hurts to get your gem cracked; it feels like every bone in your body is broken. And it still feels like it even though her gem is healed.

The worst part about it is that the only position that she could sleep in would be on her back and every five minutes or so, the she would glitch again. That didn't seem to be a problem once someone (she was too tired to remember who) put a blanket around her. She fell asleep and within seconds she snored obnoxiously.

She totally forgot that she left the TV on… Or she thought it was the TV. She woke up to a loud noise in the middle of the night, but no light was found. Due to her very groggy state of mind, her gem glowed lavender as she pulled out her whip in to prepare for anything (it felt like her gem was melting when she summoned her whip) She grunted, now knowing that her gem was recently healed. She quickly turned on the light of the lamp and what she saw made her heart sink down to the tips of her toes. What she saw was Steven…and he was crying. Obviously, the boy didn't know she was still down here and probably just went downstairs for a drink of water; he was startled when the light turned on. Amethyst dismissed her weapon and froze. She didn't know what else to do. "Steven, you okay?" Her raspy voice called out quietly. A sob entered the air. He rubbed his tired eyes, welling with tears. "…Y-yeah. It's just…"

Silence followed and Amethyst slowly sat up, waiting for him to respond. She wasn't really good at comforting, she was better at cheering people up. She remembered whenever Steven was upset about something, she would give him some donuts or pizza and he would cheer up within seconds. Obviously, she couldn't do that right now. It hurt just to sit up and yet again, it was the middle of the night. "Can I stay with you?" He asked between sobs

"Sure, why not?" Amethyst replied. She never really had a problem with it. In fact when Steven was younger, they used to make pillow forts in his room and take naps together. They still do that to this day, even. She put him under the blanket and he cried on her shoulder. She never had seen him like this. Today must have been a rough day for him. Then again, Amethyst was really close to dying today. She acted as if it was nothing and to be completely honest, she didn't really worry at all until Steven was beating himself up. She didn't want to worry him so she acted as if everything was painless and tried to cheer him up the entire day. When your gem is cracked, that takes a whole bunch of willpower to even get through it with a grin on your face.

As she stated before, Amethyst wasn't good at comforting at all. She tried her best of course. In between sobs she told him everything was okay but there really isn't anything she could do that would stop his crying but to wait it out. Eventually his sobs died down a bit and it reverted to sniffles. "Amethyst?"

"Yeah?"

"If I don't have any magical powers, can I still go on adventures with you?" He asked.

"Of course, buddy! You can always go with me!" Amethyst replied sleepily, before yawning slowly. "What makes you think you don't have powers?"

"I didn't save you today and you could've died if Pearl and Garnet weren't there with us. I just… I feel…" Steven was starting to cry again. It hurts Amethyst to hear him say that. Steven was always optimistic and positive. He was hardly the type of person to beat himself up and in contrast, he _always _looked at the bright side. Steven made puns every five seconds and composed songs about how great his gem friends were, he hardly ever felt negative feelings. No other kid is as happy as Steven is.

"It's okay, Steven. That doesn't mean you don't have powers. I'm still alive, right?" She tried her best to comfort. She wasn't the serious type at all but the only thing that matters is that she was trying her best.

"…Yeah."

"Then what are you worried about? It's totally fine, bud." She gave out a tired smile before ruffling his hair. "And even you don't have powers, I wouldn't care."

"But would I be able to go on missions?"

"Sure." Amethyst stated half-heartedly. Steven smiled a bit and she noticed he was slowly reverting back to his original self. He yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Amethyst. Please, don't do that again." He said softly, referring to her cliff dive earlier last afternoon.

She laughed quietly but at the same time obnoxiously before she closed her eyes. That night was peaceful and quiet and not another thing bothered them so they fell asleep in seconds.


	4. Real Mom

**AN: Thanks to all of those still reading this, I really appreciate it! I update this once in a blue moon so I really love all of you guys who stay with me. This one is sort of the aftermath of Lion 3; it has lots of motherly feelings. I haven't written in a while, so I apologize if it's a bit jumpy and rough. I tried to revise it but I like the rougher draft better. **

**4\. (Real Mom)**

No one said Rose Quartz was truly gone. A lot of times, the gems said that Rose Quartz lived in him, he shared her gemstone, so she never truly left. Greg often stated that she lives in the stories people tell, and he says that Steven shares his mother's smile. She was never "gone". She couldn't be "gone".

There were stories told to him from his dad and the gems about how great Rose Quartz was; he has heard all of them, occasionally a story was repeated. "She saw the beauty in everything," Pearl repeated from time to time. Eventually, it came to a point where Steven wanted to meet her but it always ended with frustration. He remembered the first time he heard about his mother… For the first few years, he actually thought the crystal gems where his mother figures, occasionally calling them "mom". This phase lasted years until he figured out that Rose was his mom, she wasn't here anymore, and the crystal gems were just her friends that watched over him and took care of him.

Steven wanted to meet her so badly, especially after all of the stories about her. He wanted to chase after her. The boy desperately wanted to meet his "real" mother, his amazing mom that would never be there to take care of him. He knows he shouldn't feel like he's missing something for not having his real mom living with him, but he does. Sometimes he wonders what it would be like to have Rose take care of him as well. Would they go out to a diner every week? Would Rose pack him a lunch every time a mission would spring up? Would she tell him every night about what wonderful adventures she has been through? More importantly, would the gems act any differently if Rose was here? He would never know… He would never get the opportunity.

He remembered that one night at the Big Donut where he watched the video that Rose and his dad had made him. That night he carried the tape and climbed on Lion's back, said goodbye to Sadie and Lars before he headed back home. That was the first time in a long time that he didn't feel like he was missing anything. She was a part of him. She lived inside of his gem and although they might not be the same person, he feels confident that Rose will always be with him. He still wanted to chase after her and see her, but he finally understood that task would be impossible.

Steven was already on the road home with Lion. He quietly thanked Lion for giving him the opportunity to play the old VHS tape. The boy then spent the next few minutes rethinking about what happened, the grin on his face never fading. His own mother's word's echoed in his ears. _"…You're going to be something extraordinary…"_ He had never heard her voice until today. _"You're going to be a human being." _The boy smiled to himself, his mother had faith in him and before he was even born, he had someone that believed in him and his abilities as a crystal gem. Rose Quartz really did see the beauty in everything.

His thoughts grew deeper and suddenly he felt sad. Did the crystal gems ever miss Rose a lot more than he thought? He understood that Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl all missed Rose Quartz. But…Did they miss her so much more than he would imagine? Rose obviously, without a doubt, was a better gem than he was. Steven wasn't trying to put himself down; Rose was a better gem because she was much older than him and had more experience than her son. When he went home, he wanted to ask the gems a question and he wanted an honest response.

Steven then dismounted Lion, and opened the door, the giant feline walked away to lay down in the corner. The crystal gems were home, and they welcomed him. "Hey, Steven!" Amethyst greeted, smiling. Steven didn't respond. He was about to go back into his room, before the gems asked what was wrong. The boy looked back. "Hm…" He paused. "You guys promise you'll be completely honest? No sugarcoating?" Steven asked calmly. He wasn't upset, just curious. Amethyst and Pearl looked nervous and averted their gaze to Garnet. Garnet said yes.

The next question that Steven would ask is the very question he has been wondering for years. "Do you guys ever wish my mom was here? You know…instead of me?" With all of those stories, Steven often thought this and had this mindset that Rose was better than him. He often thought about the past, if the gems ever blamed him or his dad for her sacrifice. It led him to wonder if he wasn't good enough. Pearl and Amethyst looked upset and they both frowned, although Garnet stayed stoic as always and probably expected the question due to her future vision. She adjusted her glasses as Pearl spoke, "Steven, of course we miss Rose. But it's not your fault, it was her choice. You shouldn't feel that it was a choice you made."

"I'm not saying how I feel. I just want to know if you think my mom made the right decision." Steven calmly responded.

"Steven." Garnet paused, making sure the boy was paying attention. The red gem placed her hand on the smaller boy's shoulder. "She made the right choice. We wouldn't trade you to get her back."

"Yeah, bud! We care about you!" Amethyst reassured

"Wait, you really mean it?"

"Of course, Steven. All of us miss Rose, but she's never coming back. And we certainly wouldn't trade you to get her back. Especially after all of these years of us taking care of you." Pearl smiled at the boy. He smiled back. "You're doing fine, Steven. Don't worry." Garnet gave him one of her rarest smiles.

Steven let that sink in. The boy thanked the gems and they made him feel better about the whole "mom" subject, and he desperately hoped they didn't sugarcoat it. He yawned. Garnet told the other gems that a mission was going to start soon. Pearl suggested that he should get some rest and he did as he was told. It was still very early in the morning and he didn't sleep well due to Lion unintentionally choking him in his sleep. He said goodbye to the gems and went back upstairs to his room.

Before he passed out, he thought about those many, many years of trying to chase after his real mom. In all actuality, he had three. Rose gave him life, a gem and a personality to match, but she never really took care of him. Her video did, but all this time he was chasing after something when he already had it. The gems have taken care of him since day one, and have always been there for him just like a real mom. He couldn't believe it took him this look to find that out.

Rose is a part of him, it is impossible for those two to ever meet. But there's nothing wrong with that, he already has three moms that care for him dearly and sacrifice a lot for him. For the first time, he didn't feel empty about not knowing his mom; everything he needs is right in front of him. He isn't missing a thing.


	5. Nightmares

**AN: Suddenly, I have loads of ideas for drabbles and they popped out of nowhere! I'm also going to try to post one of these drabbles every Saturday. Although, I doubt I keep it that way, I would like to have more recent updates. This drabble fic is over a year old and it only has four chapters. Anyway, this one drabble is about Garnet and Steven at the aftermath of Jailbreak. **

**Drabble # 5 (Nightmare)**

Steven was the strongest kid in the cosmos. Maybe not in the physical, tough-guy strong, but he was strong emotionally. Just in the few months of this year, he learned a lot of information about the gems. He has learned more about the homeworld gems and their intentions. He learned that more gems are out there in the vast emptiness of space, they aren't his friends. They aren't crystal gems; they came to Earth with bad intentions and constantly hurt his family and his friends. The only thing that could keep him up at night is the fact that those "bad" gems want to hurt him.

Somehow, he believes that there is good in them. No one is ever born "bad". There was Amethyst, who constantly thinks she was born "bad" but she overcomes it. Amethyst was a "Kinderborn"; she was born in conditions that one might overlook. But she isn't terrible. Sometimes she does pranks and makes mistakes but Amethyst doesn't do anything inherently evil. No one is ever born "bad".

After all of this turmoil, he is okay with the fact that countless homeworld gems are after him. He's okay that they have possible intentions on killing him because of Rose's choices. How is he okay with this? Because Steven Quartz-Universe is one of the strongest children you can ever come by.

However, there are some days where it all overflows. There are some days where he has nightmares for weeks on end. There are some days where he feels the need to take charge, and to stand up for himself. And there are some days where he needs help too. One week after the situation with Jasper and Peridot, Steven has been having nightmares about Garnet getting bisected. He understood that gems regenerate whenever they get injured, but Garnet was the strong, stoic type. She was never afraid, and he has never seen her that hurt before in his life. The thing that really got him was the look she gave him a few seconds before she disappeared in a puff of smoke. She looked so scared, so hopeless. There were only three times where Steven has seen Garnet's full facial expression, and that is one he would rather forget. He remembered shaking, he was so small compared to Jasper and Jasper can beat him up easily if she could take down Garnet. His heart was pumping out of his chest, he felt like his body wouldn't stop shivering and he felt tears forming from his face. Garnet…

Ever since then, he has been having night terrors. Steven screamed again as he woke up with a start. He was sweating, his poor heart was racing in his ribcage. Once he figured out it was another dream, he calmed down, and his heart rate went back to the normal level. He got off his bed and went to grab something to drink (and maybe just a small snack too). Since his night terrors, Steven has been sleep deprived. There were dark grey bags under his eyes and he seemed to be unfocused all of the time during missions. He was close to asking if the gems could help him but Steven felt like he was strong enough to face this on his own. What could the crystal gems do anyway? They couldn't fight nightmares, they had to fight something physical. Steven didn't worry though. After all, he was a strong kid.

As Steven pulled out milk and cereal, he heard one of the doors to the crystal temple open. It was Garnet. "Oh. Good morning, Garnet." She eyed him carefully, they had one of those awkward silent moments, and the gem warrior seemed confused but she went for it. "Early breakfast?" She asked him. It was four in the morning.

"Yeah." Steven responded, pouring the milk in his cereal, he spilled a few times due to his exhaustion. Garnet walked over to the counter and sat next to him as he began to get ready to eat his breakfast. "Still sleepy?"

"Hm?" Steven asked, slowly shoveling spoonfuls of cereal in his mouth. Garnet laughed lightly and quietly. "I'll take that as a yes." Garnet replied.

"No, Garnet. I'm just trying to wake up is all." Steven responded. He finished his bowl in about five minutes and then he climbed onto Garnet's lap. There were a lot of reasons why he loved Pearl, there were plenty of different reasons why he loved Amethyst, and there were handfuls of different reasons on why he loved Garnet. He truly loved the gems with all of his heart. He loved Garnet because she was docile and he could cuddle up next to her whenever needed. She had her own ways on showing her affections as well, even though her facial expressions don't give a clue. Garnet was stoic, but she still loved Steven unconditionally.

He placed his hands on her gems. Another thing that he learned this year is that Garnet was a fusion gem. He never would have guessed it. "Sapphire?" he guessed, gesturing to one of her gems. Garnet smiled. "Yes." Steven was happy he got it right. "Ruby," he stated happily has he gestured to her left hand. "Sapphire," he said, gesturing to her right gem. He felt her smile grow wider. Probably one of the only upsides to the mission regarding Jasper and Peridot is that Steven met Ruby and Sapphire. Once he figured out that Garnet was a fusion, everything seemed to make sense. Garnet had two gems, she was conventionally stronger than Pearl and Amethyst combined, and she had future vision. He felt stupid that he didn't see it in the first place.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He questioned. "It was supposed to be a surprise." Garnet stated. His smile faded. 

"Garnet."

"Yes, Steven?"

"You…you got cut in half."

"Hm. Is this why you can't sleep?

"But…doesn't that bother you?" Steven clutched his stomach, a common habit for when he was upset.

"That doesn't matter. Does it bother you?" Garnet asked. That was the moment where Steven started to cry. He remembered the band-aids. There were times where he felt like he could help Garnet, but he was helpless that time around. He could have helped her in that situation. He could have summoned his shield. He could have bubbled her; there was something he could have done to prevent that. Instead, he felt helpless; there was nothing he could do. He felt hot tears fall down his cheeks. Garnet's hands grasped his cheeks and she wiped off the tears with her thumbs. He felt her gems, cold and glossy on his cheeks, he felt suddenly protected. Garnet was one of his protectors, one of his guardians. He always felt safer when he was in her arms. "It's just… I've been having nightmares. I don't want to see any of you guys get hurt like that. I don't want to see you like that anymore." More tears feel down his cheeks and he was having light sobs. Garnet hugged him.

"You're so strong Garnet. You are never afraid of anything and I —"

"You're wrong." Garnet interrupted.

"Huh?"

"I see all possible outcomes for the future. I was worried that we would never see you again." Garnet explained. Future vision offered a lot of help for the fusion but it came with downsides. Garnet sees everything. She can see future Steven getting hurt and injured, along with all of her other teammates. It's painful seeing everything that could possibly happen in the future and sometimes things don't go as planned. The only thing that she can do is prevent the 'bad' future from happening. It's hard being Garnet. She will always find a way to protect Steven no matter what. It breaks her heart when things don't go as she plans. She wants to be the best protector for Steven, she wants to support him in anyway she can because Garnet knows (although he's still young and new to gem knowledge and powers) he is a crystal gem.

He continued to cry. After every tear, Garnet rubbed her thumbs where the tears imprinted. "I was very afraid that day, Steven." She confessed. Steven looked surprised. "Really?"

"Yes. You mean so much to me." Garnet sadly smiled. Garnet may often seem stable, stoic. She may often seem cold and distant to the people she cares about. That is not the case. Garnet is so full of love. Steven grinned and wiped away his own tears this time. "Aw. I care about you too, Garnet." He giggled before he yawned. His sobs died down and he was slowing reverting back to his old self.

"Feel better?" Garnet asked.

"Yeah. Steven's back. I'm just a little tired." Steven rubbed his eyes again.

"You need a nap."

"Yeah I do." Steven smiled and with that, Garnet leads him into his room and tucked him in. And that was it. Garnet said "good night" even though it should be "good morning" and turned off the light. Steven never again dreamt of Garnet getting hurt. Although that was one of his biggest fears, it never seemed to bother him anymore. He could protect Garnet. He could protect his family. He strived for that everyday and today taught him that lesson. He'll never let it happen again.


End file.
